Walter Servant of God Walter Ciszek was a Polish-American Jesuit priest born in Pennsylvania in 1904. After being ordained and taking the name Vladimir, he became a man on a mission — quite literally. He sneaked into the then-Soviet Union to carry out his religious ministry, and was eventually arrested and charged with espionage. Fr. Ciszek experienced grueling treatment, including torture, solitary confinement, and lengthy hard labor, but this didn’t stop him from carrying out his mission. Over 20 years later he returned home to the US after being exchanged for two Soviet agents. Such perseverance and fortitude would be a wonderful example to any mini-Walter, Walt, or Wally.